Consumer and industrial refuse generation has reached an unprecedented level in the United States. Consumer consumption on the individual and family level combined with an increased amount of product packaging has raised the individual refuse generation volume to one of the highest levels in recorded history. To meet an increased consumer demand for products, industry has also increased their production which carries with it, as a natural by-product, increased refuse generation at the manufacturer level as well.
At the same time that the refuse output of the population is increasing, the available space in current and proposed landfills is rapidly decreasing due to increased consumer demand for land and the volume of refuse placed in current fills. As a result, much research and development activity has concentrated in the area of refuse management, and in particular on refuse incineration. Out of this research and development, various incineration systems have been patented, including those depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,467,587, 3,937,023, 3,965,362, 4,852,344, 4,896,508, 4,970,969, 5,127,344, and 5,678,420. While many of these systems are able to alleviate the pressing problem resulting from the increased refuse generation, most are primarily concerned with aspects of the incineration process to maximize the electric power generated from the heat produced during the incineration of the refuse. While energy production and utilization is an important by-product benefit of refuse incineration, many of these systems overlook the environmental impact caused by the smoke and exhaust resulting from the incineration of refuse as fuel for power generation. To prevent much of this impact, many of the refuse incineration plants currently in operation require that the various types of refuse be separated to remove many types of materials prior to the incineration of the refuse. This significantly increases the cost of refuse incineration, and tends to dissuade further investment in this technology.
The requirement for the separation of this refuse stems from output emissions requirements and incinerator performance. Specifically, the output emissions filtration systems which are currently available and economically feasible simply cannot provide the required amount of filtration at an acceptable cost to allow the incineration of multiple types of refuse in a single incinerator. There exists therefore a need and a desire for an incineration plant which is capable of incinerating unsorted refuse while still meeting and exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency's requirements on clean air standards for emissions.